


xoxo

by DoorIsAjar



Category: citrus - サブロウタ | citrus - Saburouta
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2019-11-16 09:18:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 14,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18091625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoorIsAjar/pseuds/DoorIsAjar
Summary: collection of citrus drabbles





	1. undone

Yuzu giggles, her teeth finding home around Mei's top lip; and the younger girl sighs, right at the same time that hands come up under the hem of her shirt.

Her skin tickles, small electric shocks of delight as Yuzu's fingers poke and ghost along her skin. The moment the touches reach the lining to her bra, Yuzu giggles again, and this time her mouth is peppering gentle kissing along the corner of Mei's own.

She lowers her hands, down to ribs, and pokes at the skin. Mei's face lights up at the contact, and she blushes. Her body grows warm, and it's all the more embarrassing when Yuzu's fingers are so freely roaming her skin, so open to the flush that has captured the younger girl.

 _"Mei..."_ Yuzu moans lightly, but it sounds more like laughter, and it has Mei melting.

The back of her knees hit the bed, and she collapses on her back, Yuzu tumbling down on top.

There's a hand cupping the spot of skin right beneath her right breast, but Mei is more focused on the other hand that cups her cheek and draws her into a kiss. There's no tongue or teeth or anything—just lips, and the sigh she releases—

The sigh that is dragged from Mei's lungs makes her come entirely undone.

Yuzu pushes her into the bed. The hand that had been so close to her breast is now across her stomach, but the icy tips of Yuzu's fingers are such a relief to the flush that had captured her skin.

She's hardly coherent enough to comprehend how quickly everything is melting away, and the way Yuzu's teeth have captured her bottom lip is mind-numbing. There's a faint tingling sensation along her ribs and then once more at the hem to her bra, and she wants to reciprocate, but this whole thing—

This whole whatever Yuzu is doing has drowned her in bliss and shoveled a barrel of affection right down her throat, suffocating her but she finds—

She doesn't want to breathe.

"Mei, are you asleep?"

Yuzu asks, and it's all giggles again. It forces a stream of giggles up Mei's own throat, too. They start up soft, silent, just enough to jolt her chest; but then she's laughing enough to feel the need to cover her face.

"No, I just..." She just what?

She doesn't know how to explain it.

She just wants Yuzu to keep _doing._

So with one hand, Mei pushes herself up, an inch or two, just to bring her closer to Yuzu and capture their lips again.

And when Yuzu's lips part, and the kiss deepens, and their breaths begin mingling, another sigh drags itself from Mei's lungs.

It’s something deep and fulfilling, and she finds herself being pushed back into the mattress.

Everything turns slow.

_Everything._

The fingers have stilled at her ribs. The other five digits are curled in her hair, disheveling her raven locks, and her own hands are trapped, one in Yuzu's hair and the other toying half-consciously with the bottom hem to the back of the older girl's shirt.

Her own shirt is a bunched up mess of fabric, clumped right along the bottom of her breasts, and it's so dorky that Yuzu refuses to uncover Mei further. The lights are off and she's wearing a bra; she could tug the very shirt off Mei's body, and it would make no difference, yet it doesn't bunch up any further from there, even as Yuzu continues to play with the fabric and twist her hands under to the skin hidden beneath.

The whole thing just makes Mei fall all the harder in love.

There's no reason for Yuzu to be so considerate, so wary of tripping over that line of indecency, but she _is._ The lights are off and Mei's breasts are covered with not just one layer of clothing, but two, and it doesn't matter that Yuzu's hands have snuck under one of the layers because her eyes haven't.

Her own hands have slipped beneath Yuzu's shirt, and her finger tips graze her skin, slipping around her back, her ribs, across to her stomach; and that is where Yuzu laughs.

Mei loses the ability to breathe as Yuzu's laughter fills her mouth, which is wholly ironic that while Yuzu is breathing into her, she can't manage to make her own lungs work.

She figures, as she pokes at Yuzu's fleshy stomach once more and as Yuzu has to pull back from the kiss to laugh, that the older girl is ticklish.

The thought only vaguely crosses her mind before Yuzu is slipping her legs onto the top of the bed. One slides between Mei's thighs, and the other winds up outside her left knee.

And she's pushed again into the bed, hands at her shoulders, lips on her own, and the cotton that surrounds her and the loving way Yuzu toys with her lips between her teeth is enough to make her release some weary combination of a moan and a whine.

She's losing her senses, and there's the nagging thought that Yuzu is fumbling with the hem of her shirt—because it is still stuck _beneath_ her breasts—to slip her hands higher.

By this point Yuzu is tracing her collar, and she could have done that from the _top;_ there was no reason to go all the way under her shirt for that, but it's perfect.

Mei can't even keep aware of where her own fingers wind up going. She last recalls them being on Yuzu's stomach, but now they are on ribs and precariously close to boobs, and she has no idea when they moved there.

There's a tongue in her mouth, and everything is hot except the spot on her collar where Yuzu's cold fingers still fiddle with her skin.

It's all so overwhelming, but Mei doesn't want it to stop. Her fingers curl wherever they are on Yuzu, and this time that happens to be the nape of her neck.

She doesn't want this to stop.

No, she's seeing stars, and the only thing holding her down is the taste of mint as they kiss.

She wants to drop off. She isn't sure what that means, but she feels so _close_ to it, to losing herself in every little gentle touch and kiss, and she wants to reach that.

She doesn't know what happens next.

Yuzu's fingers aren't at her collar, that much is certain. Her bra comes unclasped, and not a second later Yuzu's mouth is no longer on hers.

"Sorry—sorry, Mei, I wasn't paying attention—”

Yuzu's fingers are at her back. And she isn't fumbling to pry the straps off of Mei's shoulders; no, she's fumbling to reconnect the clasps, to secure the bra _back_ into place.

But the lights are off, and Mei is wearing a shirt, so bra or no bra shouldn't matter.

"It's fine."

Her hands cup Yuzu's cheeks and pull her down into a kiss, and nails scratch lightly at her back as Yuzu curls her fingers, forgoing the bra altogether, or maybe unable to concentrate on fixing it when Mei's lips are so wonderfully back on her own.

And when Yuzu moans Mei's name into her mouth, it's followed by three other words.

Mei has a hard time repeating those three words back—although she undeniably _does,_ somehow—because she's certain that this sensation, this weightless feeling of bliss and this need for Yuzu to stay right on top of her as she is and this pounding to her chest that deafens the sound of Yuzu leaving sweet kisses to her cheek...

This is that point of drop off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be where I house all the little drabbles I write (mainly written on the Yuri Garden Discord Server through the Sprinto Bot, although I have gone back and edited and added to each of the drabbles).
> 
> I hope that you have enjoyed reading, and thank you for taking the time to read my fic! :)
> 
> ch. 1 originally written 12.27.18


	2. closer

There's an odd feeling of something heavy on her chest, something atop her heart that makes her feel simultaneously out of breath yet perfectly content.

She pries open her eyes, and there's a bundle of golden hair in front of her face.

Not only that, there's a palm slapped across her nose that covers her mouth, and fingers lay precariously close to her eyes.

She sighs, but her own fingers find their way into those blond locks, twisting and curling lightly.

It's... relaxing.

This isn't their bed, though. It's...

She looks to the left, finding the back of the couch, so they must be in the living room.

_"Mei..."_

Her attention flickers back to Yuzu, head nestled atop her chest.

But the older girl isn't awake.

She's asleep, if the small moan than forms in the back of her throat is any indication.

Something comes lose within Mei, and she curls closer, pulling her knees up in the hopes of bringing Yuzu just a tad closer to her—or her to Yuzu. One of the two, it doesn't matter.

She buries her nose in the top of Yuzu's head and finds comfort in the residual wetness that resides there from a shower, as well as the scent of something fruity.

It's a scent she's familiar with, one that she likes and that makes her feel calm.

She finds her fingers are lazily tracing nonsensical shapes into the back of Yuzu's shirt.

She feels... clean. The obvious reason is the shower, but there's something more to the sensation, something that tugs at her heart, probably in the direction of Yuzu because she's the root of everything that Mei feels.

She's oh so comfortably warm here, and she has no desire to move, no desire to do _anything_ but let Yuzu's warmth seep into her bones, to make a home there and never leave.

Her heart beats at a languid pace. She can hardly tell if it's even there, but if this feeling of peace is what she gets from her heart stalling, then she wouldn't mind if it stopped beating altogether.

"Mei..?"

This time, Mei knows she's awake. Yuzu's fingers curl at their spot near Mei's collar, and her eyelids pry open.

She peers up, and her emerald eyes are met with violet ones that look... far away.

As though Mei is looking through her.

"Mei," Yuzu tries again, lightly. Her left hand comes up to cup Mei's cheek, and that's when her eyes pull into focus.

She doesn't respond. She lifts her knees higher, closer, holding Yuzu between them; and she wraps her arms more fully around the older girl, all the way until Yuzu is good and buried under her chin.

"Mei, what's going on?" Yuzu asks, a hint of a laugh in her voice.

Her question is left dangling in the air, and Yuzu is tempted to ask it again, but then Mei nuzzles her face into her hair, burying herself even closer.

"Don't leave."

It's nothing more than a mumble, something riddled with sleep and something else entirely, something else that makes Yuzu feel warm and loved.

So Yuzu does the only thing she can think of doing, and that's wrapping her own arms around Mei, cuddling closer and closer until her nose pokes at Mei's jaw and it's impossible to tell whose limbs are whose.

And right as Yuzu settles into the warmth surrounding her, she giggles. “Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope that you have enjoyed! :)
> 
> ch. 2 originally written 12.29.18
> 
> Thank you so much to [Uroko](https://bjarkan-art.tumblr.com/), who drew artwork for the second chapter of this drabble series, which can be found [here](https://bjarkan-art.tumblr.com/post/183745414455/new-fanfic-fan-art-inspired-by-one-of). Thank you so much for your kind words and drawing something so amazing for my little drabble! ❤️


	3. peanut butter & Yuzu sandwich

"Did you grab the peanut butter?"

"The what?"

"The peanut butter, Mei." Yuzu giggled, scooching past her to reach into the cabinet for the creamy paste. "Peanut butter," she repeated, showing the jar to Mei. She twisted it open as she maneuvered back around to the other side of Mei.

On the counter were two plates, two knives, a loaf of bread, and another jar, this one made of glass with some gooey, purple jam inside.

"You want to pull out the bread, Mei? Two pieces for both of us."

Mei nodded, and from the corner of Yuzu's eye, she watched Mei pull out the bread. She herself was occupied with the peanut butter and the grape jelly, opening the lids and beginning to scoop out a mound of the brown goop with one of the knives.

"Here, Mei," Yuzu spoke up. She offered up the knife to Mei, and the younger girl took it with an unamused sigh.

"Yuzu, when I mentioned learning how to cook—”

"I know, I know!" Yuzu giggled. "But you gotta start somewhere! And when you told me you've _never_ had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich—”

"You acted like I had just told you I killed someone," Mei cut in.

"It's just as bad!" Yuzu tried to reason, although the laughter that followed didn't help her case.

Regardless, Mei let the banter end there, spreading the peanut butter on the first slice of bread while Yuzu dug around in the jelly container with the second knife, struggling to collect the goopy substance without it sliding right off.

She sat the knife on the container, resigning that she would hand it off to Mei once the younger girl had slathered both of their pieces of bread with peanut butter.

In the meantime, she busied herself with the bag of bread. The only remaining pieces were the heels, and she didn't care for them, while Mei... Well, Mei had never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before, so Yuzu wondered if Mei had ever had _any_ sandwich that would expose her to the nasty, crusty end pieces.

Yuzu pulled them from the bag, intent on ripping them up and maybe throwing them out for some birds to eat.

However...

She glanced over at Mei, and a coy smile weaved its way onto her face.

With a piece of bread in each hand, she inched closer to Mei—and closer, and closer...

"Hey, Mei," Yuzu called from behind her.

Mei turned, a casual "Yes?" on her tongue when her cheeks were slapped.

The impact left her stunned, but it was not skin she felt on her cheeks, but _bread._ She blinked in her confusion, unable to form words over... whatever Yuzu was doing.

"Mei, what are you?" Yuzu questioned, a childish smile on her lips.

"What?"

"I said—”

"Yuzu, I know what you—”

"You're a cutie pie!"

A beat of pure, undisturbed silence.

Yuzu's cheeks grew red, but the only thing that morphed Mei's face was confusion.

"I don't think you make pie from bread..." Mei contemplated, eyebrows furrowing as she racked her brain for the possibility that her limited knowledge on all things food carried faulty information.

"N-No," Yuzu stuttered. "It's... It's a _saying,_ Mei. It would have been better if we had pie crust, but, well, we had _bread_ crust—and you're a cutie pie _normally,_ but now you're also... _literally_ a... cutie pie..."

Yuzu was nervous to look up and make eye contact. This had sounded so much better in her head. But she hadn't expected Mei to be so... so...

She peered up cautiously, but the sight that greeted her left her heart doing somersaults.

Mei's face had turned a light pink, and her eyes were pointed down at the ground. It was a heart-wrenchingly _adorable_ sight paired with the bread still pressed into her squished-up cheeks.

But then, as though a light bulb had gone off in her head, Mei jolted, and a quick "Wait," pushed past her lips.

She turned around, hands fumbling across the counter. Yuzu's embarrassment was lost momentarily to her curiosity, and she lowered her crusts from Mei's face.

However, not a moment later, Mei was flipped back around; and, just as Yuzu had done, she slapped at the older girl's cheeks.

However, it wasn't skin against skin, nor was it bread against skin.

No, it was bread against peanut butter against skin—and the instant that realization hit Mei, she paled.

"Yuzu—" she started, but any further words were cut off by giggling.

"Mei, what does this make me?" Yuzu laughed, right as she placed the palms of her hands on top of Mei's own, holding the pieces of bread in place (although they likely would have stuck regardless with the thick glob of peanut butter now coating Yuzu's cheeks).

"It... I didn't mean to—”

"What does this make me?" Yuzu repeated.

And Mei hastily responded with the first thing that came to her mind: "A peanut butter and Yuzu sandwich."

And it went silent—a second, then two, before Yuzu burst out laughing, gripping at her stomach.

"Mei—” Yuzu started, but she cut herself off as another wave of laughter hit her.

At the outrageous response from Yuzu, Mei flushed and dropped her hands, folding them across her chest and finding hold on the folds of her shirt.

And, just like she had expected, the pieces of bread remained stuck to Yuzu's cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Inspiration for this chapter](https://66.media.tumblr.com/b0c7376fb15f466f8c0545200e49087f/tumblr_nokr07vaix1sd2x2co1_1280.jpg)
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed! :)
> 
> ch. 3 originally written on 1.10.19


	4. oof!

"Mei! Come over here!" Yuzu called, patting at the bed like a little kid.

Mei herself sat at her desk, scribbling on a sheet of paper, one of many that she had taken home to do on her own time.

"Yuzu, I am busy right now."

"But, Meeeeeei—"

She was interrupted by a sigh, but the pen did not stop moving.

"I need to finish these forms before tomorrow. Grandfather is expecting them to be—"

Whatever reasoning Mei had been trying to tell Yuzu was promptly cut off by the collision of something to the back of her head. She blinked in confusion before turning around in her chair.

There, on the floor at her feet, was a pillow. Mei, bending down towards the offending weapon, picked it up; but the moment her attention turned to Yuzu, she could feel her heart stop in her chest.

A tongue was stuck out towards her, and, raised behind Yuzu's shoulder, was a second pillow.

There wasn't a doubt in Mei's mind what Yuzu intended to do with that pillow, and her thoughts were only confirmed when Yuzu chucked it at her.

Mei raised her pillow up to block the attack, and Yuzu's fluffy weapon dropped to the floor after the collision.

“Yuzu,” Mei began, turning her attention to the older girl.

There was a coldness in her eyes, a steeliness that had Yuzu gulping.

"Y-Yes, Mei?"

Mei fluffed the pillow in her hold, eyeing the lack of ammunition left on the bed—and it was abundantly clear that Yuzu realized this same travesty.

"Mei, I didn't mean to hit your head, really!” Yuzu tried to explain, waving her hands to deter the love of her life from the inevitable. “I was just trying to— _gah!”_

Yuzu was silenced by the collision of the pillow to her face, and she collapsed back onto the bed with an _oof!_

And as she pulled the pillow off her face, Yuzu couldn't help the small smile of resigned happiness at the sound of giggling from Mei.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :)
> 
> ch. 4 originally written on 1.21.19


	5. warmth

When the beginning slivers of consciousness invade Yuzu's senses, the first thing that she becomes aware of is the oddly encompassing sensation of _warmth._

She feels as though trapped in some semi-space between coherence and dream-land, and it's not a place she exactly wants to leave from.

And it's certainly odd, this wonderfully perfect _warmth,_ because the blanket is a bit of a mess around her body. It's twisted between her legs and only reaches up to her stomach.

But there's something else, too, something far more comfortable than the fluffy sheets and the covers beneath her.

It's the sweet-smelling skin her nose is buried into and the arms wrapped lightly around her back. It's the leg that's twisted awkwardly but lovingly between her own, and it's the nose that's nestled into the top of her messy, bed-ridden hair.

Yuzu knew she was a bit of a cuddler, but...

This was the first time she had found herself enveloped by Mei, secured in a hold that made her feel like she was a child's teddy bear.

But, honestly?

Nothing had ever felt more sheltered or more wonderful than this. No, the warmth that has curled around her body is the single most wonderful thing Yuzu can conjure up at the moment. She's not sure whether she wants to let the tendrils of slumber pull her back under while everything feels so _right,_ or to maintain just a shred of consciousness so she can continue to experience every moment of this.

She's so incredibly warm.

She can feel it in her chest; and when she tries fidgeting just a tad closer, just a tad bit closer to Mei, the hold around her tightens; and a tiny, tired moan escapes from Mei, as though in protest of Yuzu leaving.

A weary giggle escapes Yuzu, a fuzzy noise that barely makes it out beyond the haze of slumber that is steadily trying to reclaim her last few pieces of consciousness.

Her fingers grasp lightly at the front of Mei's shirt, pawing the material between them; and that's when Mei mumbles in her sleep. It's a childish and an endearing little noise, and Yuzu's heart melts at it. Her hands grab half-heartedly at the back of Yuzu's shirt, fisting the material within her palms. That, too, is so abysmally childish, especially when she mumbles again, something that sounds oddly like Yuzu's name—something that probably _is_ Yuzu's name—and it's followed by a soft, whiny sigh as any fragment of coherence that may have risen to the surface falls back under once again.

And that, that tiny notion that Mei's dreams are of Yuzu—or that, perhaps, her consciousness had risen to the surface _just_ enough, and the first thing that her mind had thought of was Yuzu—curls at Yuzu's lips, dusting her cheeks an oh-so-pleasant pink of contentedness.

She has a desire to move closer, somehow, despite the fact she is already held within Mei's arms; but she won't tempt waking Mei. She refuses to because she knows the moment that happens, this hold might be relinquished—and that is quite literally the _last_ thing Yuzu wants to happen right now.

Everything is tugging her back to sleep, but how can she so willingly go when she's woken to this?

Her heart feels prone to burst. If the fact that Yuzu can feel each of Mei's small exhales at the top of her head and can hear the languid heartbeat pattering right along inside Mei's chest aren't testaments to just how closely Mei has made herself to Yuzu, then nothing is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank 🐑 for reading! :)
> 
> ch. 5 originally written on 1.27.19


	6. sun-kissed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble was inspired by art done by [Glidesloe](https://twitter.com/glidesloe/status/1018880898836492289) on Twitter.

"Mei, come here!" Yuzu called.

The water lapped at her feet and ankles and then, as she rushed into the ocean, higher up her legs. She hadn't taken the time to fully remove her clothes, seemingly far more excited at the prospect of jumping into the water.

"Yuzu," Mei started. She wasn't about to get undressed like this, with no prior warning or anything. A bra and underwear were _not_ acceptable alternatives to a swimsuit, either.

However, Yuzu seemed to believe so, as she had unbuttoned her shirt, allowing the fresh breeze of the ocean air to hit her skin and flap lightly at the loosened top.

Whatever words of reprimanding Mei had intended to voice fell flat on her tongue, and it felt as though her limbs had gone entirely lax at the sight.

Surely her face must have been painted a bit pink—or red but, honestly, she was too enraptured by the sight to know the state of her darkening face—but either way, the flush coloring her cheeks felt oddly perfect with the warmth that was gently heating her skin from the setting sun overhead, and there was something, too, settled within her chest that was enveloping her in a gentle cocoon of comfort that was even sweeter than the sea breeze brushing lightly against her skin.

It was a simple bra, nothing fancy by any stretch of things, but it was perfect for Yuzu, really. And the two of them were wearing the same shorts, but Yuzu pulled the look off a million times better; it was a style Mei was used to seeing on her, and it fit her, whether the intent was to look hot or childish.

The blush was very much prevalent at that thought, hotter than any other inch of Mei's body at the that embarrassing idea bumbling around in her head.

"Mei?"

She jolted at the sound—and then nearly jolted again when she found Yuzu not an inch from her face.

"What's wrong, Mei? You’re red. You're not getting sunburned, are you?" Yuzu asked, running the back of her hands along Mei's face to feel the heat of her skin.

Mei shook her head in an attempt to not just dissuade Yuzu's concern, but to clear her mind.

"I'm fine, Yuzu." And then, as though to truly remove the final pieces tethering her to her roaming thoughts, "You wanted to swim in the ocean?"

Yuzu blinked, and a moment later her concern was washed away with excitement, a light of glee in her eyes as her hands rushed to clasp Mei's own.

"Of course not! Come on, I'll show you!"

And Mei truly had no say, nor any room for further questions, because she was dragged out into the water by Yuzu.

The girl frankly could not contain herself, stepping backwards as she led Mei by the hands into the water.

The instant the water sloshed against Mei's toes, she shivered; it was a stark contrast from the warmth she had been so comfortably wrapped in a moment prior.

But Yuzu continued to wade them out, calming as she settled into place. The water reached just to their knees, but there was something stuck in Mei's throat the moment she tried to voice her question.

"Mei?" Yuzu called softly.

Mei's throat was congested, clogged—no.

No.

Nothing like that; it just simply wasn't working.

How could it?

Because it was a thought she didn't think she could voice aloud to Yuzu. But the sight of her, her sun-kissed skin painted a rosy pink atop the setting sun and her face sprinkled with just a few drops of the ocean water that so carelessly and childishly trickled down her cheeks and to her jaw. And she was clothed in those short shorts and a bra and a shirt that might as well not even be on her because it was hardly held on at the shoulders but—

And then there were lips on hers, hands gripping under her arms and holding her there, holding her in place so gently, and when she could feel the bits of confusion wear off of her face, when she sighed into the kiss and returned it past the initial shock, the fingers at her arms clasped just a little tighter, a little more tenderly; and she wasn't certain when her hands had come to the back of Yuzu's neck but they were there, probably to stop herself from falling back into the water at some point.

But then, right as Yuzu took a step forward, foot brushing against Mei's own at the sandy bottom, the younger girl found her balance waning—and waning and waning until her foot came up from under her entirely; and with her hands holding tight to Yuzu, she dragged the other girl down with her as they splashed back into the water.

The only thing she could hear when her head resurfaced from the salty ocean spray was laughter from Yuzu. And that salt was truly a nasty taste in her mouth, but when Yuzu leaned down to kiss her again, Mei reasoned, she could live with the taste for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you've enjoyed!
> 
> I wrote this drabble during a Sprinto I did with [d_wolpertinger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/d_wolpertinger/pseuds/d_wolpertinger), who chose the picture for me, while I chose a different photo for d_wolpertinger to use to write a drabbe. This drabble can be read [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15808095/chapters/41531486) as the first part of the chapter (although all 3 parts are wonderful, so read them all!!) _Pew pew pew!_
> 
> Thank you, Wolpy, for choosing such a fun photo for me to use! :)
> 
> ch. 6 originally written on 1.27.19


	7. cocoa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble was inspired by art done by [Glidesloe](https://mobile.twitter.com/glidesloe/status/1084212403984785408) on Twitter.

The warmed hot chocolate was a welcomed relief to her fingers. They were cold, no—numb. And they shook with a certain fervor that she knew was not good, not healthy by any stretch of things.

But then Yuzu was sliding onto the couch next to her, a cup in her own hand that smelled just as sweet as the one clasped between Mei's fingers.

The liquid inside her own wouldn't sit still. It vibrated at the surface; so if Yuzu couldn't see how terribly her hands shook, the drink was a good enough indicator of how unsettled were her nerves.

A coil of something sat in her chest, heavy and thick and _suffocating,_ but what could Mei do about that? The conversation with her grandfather had been... not good.

And that was certainly putting things lightly. But she didn't know how else to put it—because if she created another word for it, then the casual way that she had waved her troubles away to Yuzu would have been a lie.

And she had no desire to lie to Yuzu, no desire to do _anything_ that would leave another mar against her heart when it was already a mess of emotions she couldn't even begin to untangle.

"You know," Yuzu started, fidgeting half an inch closer, shoulders bumping with Mei's own. "Mama used to make this for me when I was little." She laughed lightly, but there was something unnatural about it, something not bubbly and genuinely _Yuzu_. "I was a bit of a baby when it came to bad dreams, but this would help."

Her violet eyes flickered over to Yuzu's mug. Her fingers kept tapping at the glass, impatient or nervous or... or...

Mei didn't know. She could hardly discern whatever emotions were fraying apart her own heart at the moment, so how could she even begin to attempt to discern what Yuzu was feeling?

She sighed, a defeated noise that should have eased some of the heavy burden layered across her chest, but if anything her heart just constricted further.

"Have you tried any yet?" Yuzu spoke up.

Her eyes were heavy. And she didn't want to meet Yuzu's gaze because she knew the older girl would see right through her, see just how _awful_ every inch of her felt at the moment.

But she looked up, hoping that, just maybe, she could find some kind of reprieve in those emerald orbs.

She was sorely mistaken—because reflected back at her was an ocean of concern, eyes glassy and eyebrows furrowed as worry toiled at the oh-so cheery and optimistic Yuzu who Mei loved.

And it was undeniable that _she_ was the reason why Yuzu's face looked like that.

"I haven't."

"Here—" and Yuzu leaned forward, placing her mug on the coffee table in front of them. Her fingers then found home atop Mei's, and she lifted the mug. "Try some." The rim met Mei's lips, and she let Yuzu help her drink.

It was hot, too hot to be letting a mouthful in at once, but she gulped it down. She needed anything, just to have the bitter taste of what had happened today with Grandfather washed down, anything to replace the weight in her chest with something warmer, something _real,_ something that she could touch and explain as to _why_ she felt like the way she did.

"Mei—Mei, slow down."

She gagged, suddenly pulling the mug from her mouth; and then she was coughing.

"Mei, was it good enough to choke over?"

And it really wasn't, but Mei choked again, this time on the sudden bout of laughter that rose up her throat at the stupid comment. And Yuzu knew it was stupid, but the reaction from Mei, a small bundle of uncontrollable giggles, was enough to let those same noises come up past Yuzu's lips, too.

She leaned forward once more to reclaim her own cup.

"Do you want some more?" Yuzu asked, offering her drink up to Mei. "You can have mine."

It took Mei a moment to reply as she composed herself, a hand in front of her mouth. "No thank you."

It wasn't... much of a reply, but it was _something_ from the younger girl, and Yuzu would take it. Just those three little words, but they were enough for now, until she could find out what exactly had happened between Mei and her grandfather.

She lifted her mug up to her lips. The hot chocolate wasn't so hot anymore, but it still tasted good. And it tasted all the better when Mei fidgeted herself half an inch closer, shoulders bumping once again as she rested her head on Yuzu's shoulder.

A smile played at Yuzu's lips, and she let her own head come down atop Mei's own.

"Are you sure you don't want some of mine? You really scarfed yours down, Mei," Yuzu joked, tilting the mug towards her.

And when she caught the glimmer of a smile tug at Mei's lips and the gentle laughter that sounded from the back of her throat, Yuzu's giggles came a little more easily that time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [d_wolpertinger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/d_wolpertinger/pseuds/d_wolpertinger), [punklobster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/punklobster), and I wrote drabbles for the same picture. You can read d_wolpertinger's drabble [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15808095/chapters/41531486), as the second section of the chapter. While I do not think punklobster's has been published, there are other awesome fics to read through following the link! :)
> 
> Thank you for reading! :)
> 
> ch. 7 originally written on 1.27.19


	8. makeup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble was inspired by art drawn by [Glidesloe](https://mobile.twitter.com/glidesloe/status/1041430068969402370) on Twitter.

Yuzu knew it was early.  
  
But this?  
  
This was...  
  
"Mei, wake up," Yuzu consoled, fingers lightly grazing Mei's cheeks.  
  
Her eyelids weaved back open slowly, violet eyes finding Yuzu's own through the haze of her tire.  
  
"I just finished your eyebrows. I'm going to do your lips now."  
  
Mei gave some kind of noncommittal noise from the back of her throat, something between a moan and a whine.  
  
And while Yuzu knew it was early, this?  
  
This was more adorable than Yuzu ever thought possible.  
  
She raised the makeup brush up to Mei's lips, lightly glossing them right as Mei's eyelids fell half lidded.  
  
It couldn't have been any later than four in the morning, but Mei had an early meeting at the school; and after a night of work at the same place she was to be at in an hour, she was sorely missing out on some much-needed rest.  
  
When Mei had crawled into bed last night, hours after Yuzu had fallen asleep—accidentally of course, for she had had every intention of greeting Mei the moment she had gotten home—Yuzu had promised to wake her in the morning.  
  
After rolling over and setting the alarm on her phone to go off at an absurdly early hour, Yuzu had wiggled her way up next to Mei, happy to re-accept sleep now that Mei had returned to her.  
  
However, Yuzu's little heart wasn't prepared for the utter sweetness that came from Mei's sleep-muddled self, hardly able to remain awake as Yuzu applied her makeup for her.  
  
Just as she retracted the utensil from Mei's lips, she noticed Mei's eyelids had fallen back closed entirely.  
  
A smile tugged at her lips, something soft yet guilty as she raises her fingers once more to Mei's cheek to wake her.  
  
"Mei," Yuzu whispered. And then, when she was granted no response back, in a breath of adoration, "Sleepyhead." She brushed a loose strand of hair behind Mei's ear, but she let her fingers linger there, her smile warming all the more as Mei unconsciously leaned into the touch.  
  
"What time do you need to leave, Mei?" Yuzu asked, hoping to get some kind of a response. She didn't have it in her to truly pry Mei from the arms of slumber, so she was glad when Mei's lashes fluttered open on their own.  
  
"Five." She raised a hand to her eyes, as though to rub at them, but Yuzu grabbed for her, instead, silently linking their fingers before pulling Mei's hand into her lap.  
  
"That's in thirty-five minutes. I'm almost done with your makeup, but I still need to do your eyelashes." Yuzu laughed as Mei's eyes started to dip close. "I need you to stay awake, Mei," she teased gently.  
  
Yuzu wished she could have let Mei sleep, but the younger girl would be more upset later if she missed her meeting. So she swallowed down the tiny bit of guilt that was poking at her gut at Mei's tired sigh.  
  
"Give me two minutes, Mei," Yuzu tried to compromise, opening the tube of mascara. "Then we'll have breakfast."  
  
And did her heart skip a beat or two as Mei righted herself and attempted to peel free from the sleep that was oh so comfortably clouding her mind. She blinked twice, and again she attempted to raise her hands up to rub at her drowsy eyes; but one was still trapped with Yuzu's own, and the other Yuzu swatted away with the back of her palm.  
  
"Lean forward a little."  
  
And she did, blinking twice more before Yuzu started her work.

Once Yuzu had finished, she capped the mascara and dumped it into the makeup bag—but she no sooner found herself in an embrace.

The hold was light, and tenderly warm. And if she hadn't been so adamant about being awake for Mei, Yuzu would have let herself fall asleep right then.

“Mei—”  
  
"Five minutes."

The words hung in the air for a moment as Yuzu contemplated them—but, really, she didn't have _that_ much self-control when it came to Mei.  
  
But did Yuzu hate making that compromise when not a minute into it she could hear Mei's sleepy breathes hitting her collar. Now not only would she have to wake Mei up, but she would also have to strengthen her will against the desire to stay right like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Both [d_wolpertinger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/d_wolpertinger/pseuds/d_wolpertinger) and I wrote drabbles based off the same picture. You can read d_wolpertinger's drabble [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15808095/chapters/41531486) as the third part of the chapter. (I cheated and added to this drabble after we had finished the Sprinto. :P)
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope you liked! :)
> 
> ch. 8 originally written on 1.27.19


	9. linked

Yuzu's not sure what exactly woke her. But when her eyes blink open, first a cloudy haze of sleep before she can begin to make out any bit of anything in the darkness of the bedroom, she finds her heart skipping a beat.

Across from her own face, barely a few inches and within arm's reach, is Mei.

And that's not something that should come as a surprise because they share a bed every night.

But now, there's a faded beam of moonlight streaming across Mei's face, right along her cheek, and the other side of her face is adorably squished into her pillow.

She looks... relaxed, truly. Her eyelashes sit neatly against her cheekbone, and her mouth is parted, just barely, which Yuzu suspects is from having been talking in her sleep at some point.

Yuzu's tempted to reach up and touch her, particularly to trace the area of skin cast in the moon beam; but what stops her and grabs her attention just as a bit more of that sleep-ridden fog clears itself from her muddy mind, is her own hand.

When her eyes trail downward, reluctantly leaving Mei's peaceful face, she finds Mei's fingers hanging loosely around her wrist.

Yuzu thinks her heart skips another beat, right then, because she had nearly broken that hold and because it's... endearing. It's endearing, the whole picture; and not merely that, but Mei herself, because at some point, whether consciously or unconsciously, she had reached out to Yuzu.

And Yuzu has no intention of pulling away. Not even to touch the lighted portion of her skin, regardless of how much she still wants to.

But when a short murmur of unintelligible words hits Yuzu's ear, the hold around her wrist tightens, lightly, and Mei's fingers curl delicately around her skin. Yuzu thinks she may have tensed, if she weren't so enraptured by the sight before her.

She's not certain what caused it, but a moment later, Mei's eyes flutter open, only halfway, and the violet of her eyes seems subdued somehow by the moon. It seems fitting, considering just how dulled and quiet this whole moment has been.

"Mei," Yuzu whispers. She's careful, leaning forward with barely enough pressure to dip into the bed. She rests her lips on Mei's own in a soft kiss, and she can just faintly feel Mei reciprocate. "Go back to sleep." It's warm and tender, and Yuzu thinks, if just a bit more of that curtain of sleep had been pulled back from her mind, her heart would have gone up in burst of ash when Mei's eyes slipped back closed, and she nods her head to Yuzu's request. Right as a light sigh passes Yuzu's lips, Mei's fingers slip from her wrist, down to her palm, where they link with her own fingers.

The grip isn't really there, but it doesn't matter. Yuzu is awake, so she finishes the hold and then slips just an inch closer to Mei.

And she can't help it, but she can't bring herself to go back to sleep when Mei is like this, entirely and completely at peace, her face more subdued and relaxed than Yuzu can ever recall it being. Her chest rises and falls evenly and delicately in sleep, but Yuzu's attention is drawn back to the silvery glow of Mei's face.

It's the last thing she can recall when she wakes in the morning, although by then, the moon is long gone and Mei has thrown an arm across her eyes to keep out the beginning rays of the morning sun.

But when Yuzu glances to the space of bed between them, she finds their fingers still linked.

A small, sappy part of her heart beats a little harder. She leans over to place a light kiss on the younger girl's cheek before settling in closer to Mei, all the more aware of how comfortably her heart continues to beat on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :)
> 
> ch. 9 originally written on 1.29.19


	10. flats & heels

"Mei, what do you think of these?"

Mei's eyes trailed down, from Yuzu's face where her emerald eyes were directed at her feet, to the fifth new pair of shoes that the blonde had tried on since they had entered the store.

"I like the color, but I don't know about the straps. They're a little uncomfortable,” Yuzu explained.

Mei had to admit, the red was nice. It matched the nail polish Yuzu had on at the moment, but there were three separate straps secured around her ankle, all likely for aesthetic purposes as opposed to any kind of functionality.

However... there was something else Mei didn't like about the shoes Yuzu had on.

"I liked the ones you tried on last better," Mei answered.

"The last ones? But those were so flat. I need a taller pair," Yuzu replied, admiring the pair she had on at the moment.

"I do not think you need a taller pair, Yuzu," Mei commented.

She stood from the bench that had been her resting place for the last twenty minutes as Yuzu had scrounged the store for the perfect pair of shoes. Her legs were cramped and a tad sore, but she stepped around towards the mess of boxes and paper fillings that Yuzu had made and crouched down to help the older girl clean up.

"I only have two pairs of heels, Mei! And this pair would match so many of my outfits," Yuzu tried to reason, even as she plucked at the straps that dug uncomfortably into her skin.

Mei pulled two random shoes towards her with a sigh, stuffing a mess of paper inside.

"You have another pair at home that is the same shade, Yuzu, so I do not see why—"

"Mei," Yuzu interrupted.

She crouched down beside the younger girl.

And then, with a little bump of her shoulder with Mei's, "Why don't you want me to get heels, Mei?"

Yuzu barely caught the moment the breath caught in Mei's throat, although the hint of pink that began to color her cheeks proved to be much easier to notice.

Yuzu giggled, nudging her shoulder again. “Do you not like it when I bring my A-game, Mei?” Yuzu teased lightly.

And there, the color of Mei's face darkened further. She distracted herself from Yuzu's nonsense by stuffing a wad of paper inside another shoe.

It was difficult to keep up the charade when Yuzu nudged her again.

“Hey, Mei?”

She was tempted to ignore Yuzu.

“I'm stuck choosing between two pairs.” Another nudge. “Can you help me, Mei?”

Mei stopped her shoe stuffing, contemplating Yuzu's request.

When Mei was nudged yet again, she turned towards the younger girl, and she all but melted at the smile directed at her.

It was soft and patient, and...

She couldn’t deny Yuzu’s smile.

“Yes.”

And if her heart melted at Yuzu's smile, it all but burst out of her chest from the way Yuzu's eyes lit up.

“Thanks, Mei!”

And then Yuzu was grabbing for her hands, pulling Mei up to her feet. She couldn't hide her surprise at Yuzu's sudden antics, and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Yuzu planted her against the wall of shoes.

“The first pair is the heels,” Yuzu began, standing right at eye-level with the younger girl; but Mei was more focused on Yuzu's hands as they came to rest on her shoulders.

Her heart all but stopped beating when Yuzu leaned in and kissed her.

It lasted but a second; but when Yuzu pulled back, Mei grabbed for the wall behind her to steady herself.

“Let me put on the second pair now, Mei!”

Mei nodded weakly, dazed and unable to stop the fluttering of her heart against her chest.

The pair that Yuzu was changing into was a navy blue slip-on. They were flat, a drastic difference in height from the last pair she had tried on.

“Okay!” Yuzu began, tapping the toes of her right foot into the ground to secure the shoe on. “And this is the second pair!”

This time, when Yuzu grasped at Mei's shoulders, the older girl was a tad below eye-level. The adorable way Yuzu was forced to lean up an inch to meet her lips made Mei's knees weak, and that wasn't to mention how desperately she felt the need to grab hold of Yuzu's own shoulders when Yuzu's lips met hers.

And when the older girl asked, “So which pair do you like better, Mei?” she could hardly draw in the air to breathe out,

_“The second.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "A-game" that Yuzu mentions comes from [this](https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/citrus_ch22#32) chapter of the manga.
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed! :)
> 
> ch. 10 originally written on 2.3.19


	11. Valentine's Day

"Mei."

She looked up from the papers laid out across the table in front of her to the open doors of the Student Council Room.

There, standing uncharacteristically shyly in the mid-area between the hall and the room, was Yuzu. She held something behind her back, and she scuffed at the floor with the toes of her right shoe.

"Yes?" Mei answered. Yuzu's attention shot up from the floor to Mei's face at the acknowledgement.

In the next second, however, her eyes made their way back to the ground, as though unable to maintain that eye contact.

"Are you busy right now?" Yuzu asked. She rocked on the heels of her shoes, feigning casual conversation.

It was that obvious uncertainty that had Mei pausing, resting her pen atop the paper she had previously been completing.

Yuzu wasn't normally this reserved, to the point that she couldn't step into the same room as Mei. She may have been a bit shy when it came to matters of love, those that even the bubbly and optimistic girl couldn't handle no matter how large of a heart she had. So then what had turned Yuzu into such an anxious bundle of nerves?

"No," Mei answered. As though to prove a point, she pushed the papers a few inches away from herself. "What is it you need?"

The rocking came to a sudden halt, the tips of Yuzu’s feet clicking into the hardwood flooring.

"Ah..." Yuzu started, but the words fell dead on her tongue. "Can I just show you?" Her emerald eyes flickered up to meet Mei's own, and only once the younger girl had nodded did Yuzu finally step fully into the room.

She slid the door shut behind herself and walked around the table, hands kept firmly behind her back.

She halted beside Mei's chair, eyeing the papers, and the table, and the pattern of Mei's skirt—anything but the girl herself.

"Um... Close your eyes, Mei." Her voice wobbled, but Mei did as she was told. Hesitation lined Yuzu's next words when she spoke. "Now hold out your hand."

The younger girl presented her hands, palms up; and for a good five seconds, there was nothing but complete silence.

Then, right as Mei opened her mouth to question the strange predicament, something slipped into her hands. It was... soft. Small, soft, and light.

"It's kind of silly, but I thought of you when I saw it, Mei. You can open your eyes now."

And when she did, she found that the object Yuzu had placed in her hand was a fuzzy brown bear, a tiny stuffed animal with a bright white bow-tie decorated in red hearts.

Despite herself, Mei couldn't find the words to respond. She ran her finger over the top of his head, then gripped the small bow-tie between her thumb and forefinger.

Maybe she was all too suddenly attached to the bear because she didn't realize how close Yuzu had gotten until her arms were pulling Mei into a hug, the bear trapped between then.

And, even if she wouldn't voice it, her heart turned to mush from the way Yuzu melted into the hug when she returned the embrace a moment later.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Mei."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❤️ :)
> 
> ch. 10 originally written on 2.14.19


	12. five more minutes

It was _early._

Stupidly early.

Not even the barest hint of sunlight shone through the window, and yet, the spot to Yuzu's right was empty.

It was still a little warm, if she wiggled her way closer to it, but that residual warmth was ever so gradually receding.

"Meeeeeeei," Yuzu groaned, rolling onto her back.

The covers were a mess twisted around her legs, and her pillow was smushed all the way to the right, closer to the other one, where _someone else_ should have still been asleep.

But no. Instead, that _someone else_ was sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing the tendrils of sleep from her eyes.

"Come back to bed," Yuzu whined. She tugged childishly at the back of Mei's shirt, as though it would truly compel Mei to crawl back under the covers with her.

"Yuzu, you are more than welcome to keep sleeping," Mei began, and she clamped her mouth shut around a yawn before continuing. "But I have to be at the school early this morning."

Yuzu whined again, this time louder and more annoyingly. She tugged harder on the shirt.

"You could sleep for at _least_ another thirty minutes and still get there on time, Mei," Yuzu tried to reason.

She felt a tad guilty for her pestering when Mei sighed, turning around to gently pry Yuzu's fingers from her pajamas.

"I cannot walk in as the meeting is starting, Yuzu."

Yuzu perhaps would have beamed, or laughed, or felt compelled to kiss Mei, for she was forced to retire her efforts against Yuzu's clutch when another tired yawn tried to rip out of her mouth.

And that, that small opening where Mei had raised both her hands to her mouth to hide the unsightly sight, was when Yuzu took her move.

It was sluggish, but Yuzu was already sitting precariously close to that cusp of unconsciousness, and it was all the more fueled by the increasing warmth she felt as her arms came to wrap around Mei's waist.

"Yuzu," Mei sighed, resting her hands atop Yuzu's own where they clasped together across her stomach.

"Just five more minutes?"

A beat—then two.

Yuzu took her chances when Mei didn't respond and pulled the younger girl closer.

"Five more minutes. And then I'll get up with you," Yuzu spoke. It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement.

"You do not have to get up with me," Mei reasoned—but she was already pulling her legs back up on the bed, body turning ever so to face Yuzu once more.

"Mm," Yuzu mumbled, right as she buried Mei comfortably under her chin. "I want to. I like doing our morning routine together." Yuzu stilled before continuing. "And eating breakfast. And walking to school." She was the one who yawned now, although this time, she didn't bother to cover or staunch it. No, her hands were occupied with Mei, one at the small of her back and the other tangled neatly between and around her silky black strands of hair.

And despite the small tug of sleep coming for Yuzu, she forcibly blinked back open her eyes, for she could feel, right against the skin of her neck, how Mei's breath puttered along there, the younger girl reclaimed by sleep.

Those five minutes would be up in no time, far too quickly for Yuzu's liking. But for the moment, for the final minute or so she had like this, she intended to stay just as they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! :)
> 
> ch. 12 originally written on 2.24.19


	13. chocolate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble was inspired by art done by [Glidesloe](https://twitter.com/glidesloe/status/1096135605556109312) on Twitter.

The counter was a mess of chocolate and other bits of food gunk that looked thoroughly unappetizing. The blender had gone haywire in the middle of Yuzu stirring the chocolate mixture, and so not only was the machinery covered in goop, so were her hands and face.

"Mei, can you hand me a towel?" Yuzu asked, taking the mixing bowl off the blender.

She decided, she would hand-mix it for now, and she set to stirring.

"Yuzu."

She turned, and she was met with a towel being smudged against her cheek and clearing away a patch of chocolate. She giggled and stopped her mixing for the moment, reaching for Mei's hand and tugging her closer a bit. Then, shoving her hand a bit too close to the younger girls' face,

"Try it, Mei."

Yuzu would have blushed herself, had it not been for how comical it was to see her chocolate-covered hand extended out towards Mei, whose own face had reddened a shade or two darker.

And a moment later, when Mei leaned forward, past her hand and to her cheek to kiss where another smudge of chocolate laid, Yuzu _did_ blush, and she very well thought her heart would burst out of her chest—in embarrassment or adoration, Yuzu wasn't sure—when Mei's lips transferred from the chocolate mess to her own lips.

Yuzu had to admit, the chocolate tasted good, but it wasn't _nearly_ as good as Mei.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The picture for this drabble was chosen by [d_wolpertinger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/d_wolpertinger).
> 
> I only have a few more drabbles left to post, but they are all really short like this one. I may at some point expand on these last short ones; but for now I'm happy with leaving them as-is.
> 
> Thank you for reading! :)
> 
> ch. 13 originally written on 3.5.19


	14. stars

There was a chill to the air, something that bit lightly at the skin, but it gave Yuzu the perfect excuse to wiggle herself an inch closer to Mei.

She peered up at the sky beyond the canopy of the trees around them. Her lips curled into a smile, a soft upturn of her lips as she pointed at a collection of stars up to the left.

"Doesn't that one kinda look like a dog?" Yuzu asked.

She shifted her foot situated at the end of the blanket they laid on, suddenly wishing she could take her small comment back.

She figured, the cluster of stars probably had a name, one that Mei likely knew, and suggesting that they looked like a dog—which it really didn't look like, the longer Yuzu stared at it—embarrassed her.

"The three small ones and the two underneath?"

"Yeah!" Yuzu returned suddenly—and then she felt her face color.

Her response had been so quick, but, well, how could she help the swell of warmth in her chest at Mei having gone along with her? Regardless of whether she truly knew the names of all these constellations or not?

"Hey, Mei—" Yuzu began, turning her head towards the other girl.

But she found her words stalled in her throat, because, instead of the stars and the dog, Mei was staring back at her. And it was clear that the younger girl knew she had been caught staring at Yuzu and not the stars, but it was even clearer that she didn't know how to deny such a thing.

"Mei?"

A beat, and then a second—and Yuzu laughed at the light blush that colored Mei's cheeks before the younger girl jerked her attention back towards the stars.

Suddenly, hastily, "The one under the dog looks like a bear," Mei commented.

It didn't. Not in the least, and Yuzu was filled with an immense desire to laugh.

She merely nodded instead and mumbled an affirmation as she nestled herself closer to Mei, more than content to squint her eyes and find the bear that the younger girl had apparently seen within the stars, as long as it meant she could stay settled right where she was with Mei.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :)
> 
> The idea for this chapter came from [d_wolpertinger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/d_wolpertinger/) 🐂
> 
> ch. 14 originally written on 3.8.19


	15. sudsy

"Mei."

"Mmm..."

"Mei."

"..."

"Mei, you're making a mess."

"..."

Yuzu sighed—or, well, exhaled loudly out her nose, for her mouth was full of the bubbly suds of toothpaste, although her sigh wasn't one of irritation or disgust.

No, it was a little resigned sigh of adoration. She clamped down lightly on her toothbrush to keep it held in her mouth while she reached for a face towel resting on the kitchen sink.

"Mei," Yuzu tried calling once again, right as she began wiping at the sudsy mess of minty paste dribbling down Mei's chin.

The contact woke Mei, albeit slightly, from her sleepy state. However, she didn't take note of the mess on her chin, nor of Yuzu cleaning it away. Instead, she resumed brushing her teeth.

Yuzu giggled at the sight. "Mei, you know you didn't have to get up so early this morning." Her words were fuzzy with the mess of toothpaste in her mouth.

"Hmm..?" Mei hummed. She stopped brushing a moment, lowering her toothbrush to rest along the rim of the sink.

However, there wasn't another sound that the younger girl made, and Yuzu felt the need to prompt her into speaking.

It wasn't that Mei had dozed off again—no, she was just... quiet.

"Mei?" Yuzu tried.

"You said you would like for us to make breakfast together."

"Huh..? Did I..?" Yuzu mulled over to herself, although her wandering thoughts were drawn back to Mei as she resumed her brushing once more.

She blinked, one part to draw back the sleep that was still fogging up her brain and another to clear the minute confusion tugging at her brain.

It all seemed to disappear the moment she caught sight of the small tinge of pink to Mei's cheeks.

It took Yuzu a moment to piece together everything, for the final tendrils of sleep and confusion to pull away, before she scooched a half a foot closer to Mei, continuing her brushing as she resolved herself to this unexpected, but undeniably nice, surprise.

"What would you like to make for breakfast this morning, Mei?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :)
> 
> ch. 15 originally written 3.14.19


	16. busy

"Mei."

"Yes?"

"Mei."

"Yes, Yuzu?"

A groan, and Mei stopped scribbling on the notes in front of her.

"Look at me."

The younger girl gave a small sigh, and the only thing that fueled her towards abiding by Yuzu's request was that, well, it was _Yuzu's_ request.

When she turned around, she was met with the dorkiest sight she could ever recall seeing from the older girl.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, as close ad she could possible be to Mei without her butt very well sliding off, Yuzu had her arms outstretched; and her face was painted a rosy pink in obvious embarrassment. However, she clearly intended to pretend that such embarrassment did not exist, for the smile plastered across her face beamed just as brightly as the childish glint alight in her eyes.

"Come here."

Mei could feel the beginnings of a blush color her face, and she could only hope it was too light for Yuzu to see yet.

"Yuzu, I am busy," Mei tried to reason.

"Please, Mei?" and, as though to regress another year or two in maturity, Yuzu re-extended her arms, putting extra emphasis on the motion.

Mei sat there, staring at Yuzu, whose face was progressively darkening in color but who refused to budge an inch from this false bravado.

Mei sighed once more, but the small, pleasant twitch to the corner of her mouth alluded to another feeling she felt entirely.

And when she stepped up to the bed, staring down at the smile on Yuzu's face that had grown even larger and fuller and happier at Mei's closeness alone, and when she leaned down to return the hug that Yuzu had generously given to her, she couldn't mask the gasp of surprise at finding herself being lifted from the floor, up onto the bed, and directly on top of Yuzu.

The red to her face had darkened considerably; but Mei found it increasingly difficult to focus on anything but the pleasant swell to her heart with the sound of Yuzu's giggling in her ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my drabble! :)
> 
> ch.16 originally written 6.17.19


	17. drool

"What're you reading?"

"It is nothing of importance."

"So it's not something for an upcoming test?"

"Nothing of the sort."

Yuzu hummed lightly, letting the conversation naturally conclude.

She was huddled up against Mei on the couch, knees pulled up to her chest as she tried to get a peak at the book Mei held between her hands.

The closer she looked, the more obvious it was that Mei was reading some fictitious tale, certainly nothing that was considered study material.

Beside her, she felt Mei shift, half an inch or so closer to Yuzu, just as she turned the page in her novel.

Yuzu released a light sigh of content in response, and her head came to rest on the younger girl's shoulder.

"If you are tired, you may go on to bed without me," Mei whispered, eyes gliding slowly across the page.

"Mm, I'm not tired," Yuzu returned. She wrapped an arm around Mei's own, feeling under her body as Mei released a sigh of her own. "I'm content right where I am."

That, however, did not prevent Yuzu from slipping into sleep not twenty minutes later, causing Mei's arm to go numb under her and leaving a trail of drool precariously close to defiling that same arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have enjoyed reading! :)
> 
> ch. 17 originally written 6.17.19


	18. a knight & her princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Medieval AU

The breath leaves her throat in sharp, rugged gasps. Her muscles are wound tight and shoulders held tense, tenser than the grip she holds on the silver-plated sword within her palm.

Her fingers twitch upon the handle as the remnants of adrenaline leave her system.

She lets out a sigh, and her raven hair—plastered to her cheek with sweat—moves minutely out of place. And then, on the floor, as her eyes catch sight of the body and the darkened stain on the abdomen and the black and blues upon the exposed limbs and the _blood —_

The sword drops from her grasp, clambering loudly and horribly against the polished floor.

The noise rings in her ears, and she averts her eyes from the mess in her room. The window over to the left is busted open, glass scattered across the duvet of her bed and atop the books laid out on the nightstand.

Whatever relief had just come over her limbs is overrun, and her system is re-flooded in body-shaking nerves the next moment. The door to her chambers bursts open, and the handle smacks the back of the wall.

"Princess Mei!"

From the door, three knights barring swords and lances barrel into the room; and, behind them, a man clad in a deep navy cape and a gold-rimmed crown pushes beyond the metal-protected knights.

"Mei!"

He takes three haste steps forward before coming to a jarring halt.

Across his daughter's face, sprayed jaggedly along the bridge of her nose and dribbling lower and lower down her jaw, is a trail of blood; and by any guess, it is not her own. At her feet lays a body, crumpled and atop a small pool of blood that is only steadily increasing in size.

It is before the following nightfall that Princess Mei is provided a knight for protection.

The silvery armor of her new, permanent guard seems more than durable enough to withstand a good beating or two from a sword. But upon being presented to Mei, and once the helmet is removed, a head of hair is revealed that is neither short nor dirty, but long and a light blonde. It curls gently at her shoulders, which are wedged within the metallic armor.

The armor makes odd, rigid sounds at every movement, including when the girl rests her arm across her abdomen, bowing towards the princess.

 _Yuzu,_ Mei would soon learn. _Yuzu Okogi._

That was her new knight's name.

 

* * *

 

It only took a week for Mei to fully understand why this knight had been appointed to her protection.

Another break-in to the castle by a man wielding a forester's ax, dulled and rusty from labor. But it would work well enough for his intended use—should he have made it to the Princess' chambers, that is.

He was stopped at the top of the stairwell leading to the upper rooms, one of which was Princess Mei's own. Yuzu blocked his path, one foot beneath the other on the stairwell.

"Get out of my way!" the intruder screeched, barring his ax to attack. He was clearly drunk, if not by the smell alone, then by the stupidity of his outburst. He had surely woken the entirety of the castle by then.

And it was not five minutes later that the tops of the stairwells were filled with the King, the castle staff, other knights, and—to whom Yuzu's emerald eyes had fallen—Princess Mei.

The intruder laid at the bottom of the stairs, clutching at his elbow. Blood seeped from the injury and stained his clothes, but he remained alive.

"Guards!" King Shou called. He began pushing past the house workers, down the stairs towards where Yuzu remained. "Arrest this man! If he does not cooperate, execute him."

And what a shame it was, for the King's next person of interest was Yuzu, who had been yet unable to pry her eyes from the Princess. Yuzu's gaze, to her heart's distress, had not been returned by the fair lady.

It was jarring, then, not a moment after the King had finished speaking to her, to find violet eyes turned towards her. The color bore into her, leadening her limbs and freezing her feet to granite beneath her.

That night in bed her heart refused to still, and she was unable to determine if the cause were the ax-wielding intruder or the un-knightly feelings she harbored for her Princess.

 

* * *

 

It was a month into the arrangement when Mel walked in on her knight changing out of her gear.

It was late. Far later than Mei _should_ have been up. But there had been a crash, followed by some obscenity that cued Mei into the lack of severity this matter held.

The noise had come from her knight's room directly next door, and so, with a candle stick grasped lithely between her fingers, Mei pried the bulky door open. It let out a high-pitched whine in response, and Mei cringed at the ear-piercing noise.

_"Hey, I'm changing here!"_

Violet eyes blinked, attempting to locate the source of the sound in the dark, and then—

The breath caught in her throat, and Mei was glad for the darkness of the room, for it served her well in concealing the blush encroaching upon her features.

Yuzu's knightly armor had been stripped off and laid to rest at the foot of the bed; and there, atop the metallic uniform, were her undergarments.

Currently, the girl was clad in nightly clothes, but she had done a poor job of dressing herself. The pants hung loosely on her hips, left untied in her hurry to secure more clothing upon her body before the door had fully opened. And her top...

If Mei hadn't felt such a heat upon her face and a stuttering within her chest, she very well would have laughed.

Yuzu struggled with the left sleeve, unable to wrangle her arm completely through, and it left her tummy exposed.

"Could I have some privacy?!" Yuzu harshly whispered. "I'm—" her words were cut off with a gasp, and the struggle with her clothing ceased. Her emerald eyes widened in surprise to find her Princess, silent and stock still, watching her.

"Princess Mei, I apologize. I did not realize—"

It was not by her own volition that her words were cut off this time.

No, she was silenced by lips upon hers, and the very breath stalled in her throat.

In that second, Yuzu felt like melting.

There was a bliss filling her senses, something otherworldly that lightened her being.

When fingers grazed upon her jaw, the skin felt aflame, alight in a way that had her heart jumping into her throat.

She didn't want this moment to end. Her fingers wound up tangled in her Princess' raven locks, and she found that they were so _soft,_ but they were still not softer than the very lips she was tasting.

And in next minute, as the younger princess pulled back, something dreadful filled Yuzu's stomach, something that made her feel very well prone to vomit, for _she had just kissed the Princess._

 

* * *

 

Two months into the arrangement, the King presents his daughter with a courtship. It's with a man from a neighboring country, the son of a long-standing king.

_"He's a kind man."_

_"He would make you very happy."_

_"This marriage would serve both countries well."_

Yuzu remains standing beside her Princess for the duration of the conversation, during which a pit grows all the deeper in her stomach.

She had hoped, though childish, that _she_ would fulfill that role for Mei.

It leaves the young knight disoriented to find her dream shattered before it had begun to show even the slightest hint of possibility.

Once the meeting concludes, Yuzu follows her Princess from the room; and despite the alertness with which she should carry herself, she cannot clear the haze in her mind. She's still reeling, still hoping there's a _chance_ this fruitless desire can become something.

But she knows, she was never meant to be with Princess Mei.

No, she was a girl, and she was a lowly knight.

Neither of those were acceptable for a princess to be with.

But the moment the door to the meeting room shuts, there are fingers tugging lightly at her wrist, a soft _"Come with me,"_ whispered to her in the dimly lit hallway.

And Yuzu lets the Princess drag her, down another hallway and up a staircase and into some room neither of the two have ever been in.

Mei pries open the door, careful to stop it from squeaking, and gently guides her knight in first.

It's improper. Yuzu should be opening doors, not Mei. But the thought can barely form around the countless others already bumping around in her head—

"I want you."

Yuzu's heart drops into her stomach. The bombarding thoughts draw silent, yet she can hardly pull words up to reply to her Princess' outburst.

"P-Princess—"

"I don't want Sir Fuyumi. I want you."

Mei reaches forward, hands grabbing for Yuzu's own; but Yuzu isn't certain exactly whose are the ones trembling.

Clearly, however, they must be hers, because small kisses begin littering her hand; and with each press of lips to skin, the jitters evaporate one by one.

Before the end of the night, it is lips to wrists, lips to jaws, lips to cheeks, and lips to lips.

 

* * *

 

The next day, marriage negotiations are cancelled.

Yuzu stands beside her Princess when she announces this to her father in non-negotiable terms.

It is Yuzu who pulls Mei into her room that evening, giggling at the euphoria the situation has gifted her.

And when she kisses Mei, and Mei returns the gesture, her knees feel weak, and a fluttering feeling bursts open within her chest. She's smiling and laughing into the kiss, and the only thing better than that, is feeling Mei's own smile against hers.

 

* * *

 

Four months into the arrangement, the thought crosses Yuzu's mind—right as she sighs into a kiss with the Princess—that surely her head would be served upon a silver platter should anyone discover what they have been doing.

And despite that, she cannot bring herself to stop.

No, for when Princess Mei knocks at her door, she does not have the will to turn her away. Kissing the Princess fills her stomach with a nervousness that is masked only by the pure contentedness given to her by these sweet-tasting lips upon her own.

Surely, Yuzu should never have gotten this close. She was meant to be nothing more than a protector. But the hands cupping at her chin, and then lower on her stomach oh so closely to her breast, still any words within Yuzu's throat.

For tonight, she cannot pry herself from her Princess, nor does she want to.

 

* * *

 

It is five months into the arrangement when the two are told the news: King Shou will marry the lowly fruit farmer, Ume Okogi, mother to Princess Mei's own knight.

The King's advisors are in an uproar, distraught over bringing peasantry into the royal family.

But more distraught than they, are Princess Mei and her knight. The two stand unfathomably still in front of the King, unable to process the proposal.

Step-sisters.

They would become step-sisters.

And Yuzu is not sure which is worse: kissing her Princess, or kissing her step-sister.

It is that night that Yuzu finds herself plastered against the back of her Princess' door the moment her feet cross the threshold. And it is not a second later that fingers are curling around her jaw, the back of her neck, then lower and lower. Lips meet her own with fervor and heat, and any inkling of thought is wiped from Yuzu's mind at the tongue that slips across her bottom teeth.

It's wrong. It's all _wrong,_ but the hands tugging off her garments and the teeth gnawing gently at her lips silence those thoughts for now.

 

* * *

 

A week later the marriage is held.

The wedding is grandiose, despite the protests of King Shou's advisors.

And that very night, when Yuzu knocks on the Princess' door, it is no longer as her knight, but as a princess herself.

The dress is stuffy and hot, and it clamps awkwardly at her armpits and waist. It is uncomfortable and feels _wrong._

The moment the door opens, the words tumble from Yuzu's lips.

"We have to stop."

Something flashes across Mei's eyes, something that burns with a sudden intensity that unnerves Yuzu.

Mei pulls at Yuzu's wrist and drags her within the room, and the door slams shut behind them. The sound is drowned out by the party occurring downstairs, King and newly-appointed Queen laughing and cajoling like a pair of children.

"Stop what?"

Yuzu swallows. She can't discern the tone laced within Mei's words, but it is not one that she has ever heard from the raven-haired princess before.

"Whatever has been going on between us. The meeting up and the kissing and—everything. We can't keep doing it."

Her voice is wobbly, and the words burn her tongue. She speaks as though out-of-body, for they do not feel real to her own ears.

But when she raises her eyes, from the floor to violet eyes, a chill runs down her spine.

Mei's eyes glisten, as though with un-shed tears, and her mouth hangs agape.

She's hurt.

And Yuzu feels more wrong in this moment than does the stuffy dress sticking to her skin.

"This is wrong," Yuzu barrels on. It's more to persuade herself at this point because more than anything she wants to close the distance between the two of them, to wrap her arms around Mei and pretend they can go back to Princess and Knight—even if _that_ is still nothing but an unhappy end. "It was always wrong, and it is my fault for having not stopped it. I served to protect you, and..."

The words are jammed hard in her throat, unable to pry themselves past a bubble lodged within that narrow space; and it is then that Yuzu feels the tears upon her cheeks. She hiccups, further unable to understand what is happening to herself.

She digs the heels of her palms into her eyes, but the scratchy cloth of her white gloves agitates her skin and only serves to remind her that _she's a Princess now, too.  
_

And despite the ache in her chest, she can't staunch this other feeling.

She can still hear Mei's confessions, like it happened just a few hours earlier and not months ago.

_"I want you."_

She wants to sob, but it's still ingrained in her, as a knight, that she shouldn't, especially not in front of her Princess.

_"Mei."_

And even that feels wrong.

She's allowed to call her _Mei_ now, is _supposed_ to call her Mei now, as she is no longer her knight, but her sister by law.

But Princess— _My Princess_ —is what Mei has always been to her, _still_ is to her.

And she knows Mei is hurt, so it comes as a surprise when fingers wrap around her wrists, and against her skin does a thumb rub soothing circles.

The words burst past her lips before Yuzu can contemplate the consequences of vocalizing them.

_"I love you."_

She's loved Mei since the beginning, she knows this. But as her knight, it was never a right she held to put this burden upon her Princess. And even now, tonight, after having that title revoked from her being, it still sits heavily within her chest.

But now it's out in the open. She cannot return this confession; their relationship is permanently changed, for better or for worse, and the _wait_ for Mei to do _anything_ is _unbearably —_

_"Mm!"_

The sound, stuck in the back of her throat, is muffled by a kiss, although this one is indescribably different from all the others they've shared. It's deep, but gentle.

And when Mei pulls back, it is as though she has taken the very breath from Yuzu's lungs. Her emerald eyes flutter open, and the violet that greets her is pained, as though aware of the very doubts that plague Yuzu's own mind, but there's such heavy _love_ in her gaze.

"I love you, too."

Yuzu cannot hardly control herself when she kisses Mei once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter! This one in particular was not written during a Sprinto. Instead, [Sappho82](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sappho82/pseuds/Sappho82) gave me the prompt for a Medieval Era AU with Yuzu being a knight and Mei being a princess.
> 
> I hope you have enjoyed! :)
> 
> ch. 18 originally written on 6.17.19 & 6.18.19


	19. Boardwalk Blues

"You stole Boardwalk from me!"

"Did not! You just weren't lucky enough to land on it!"

"You saw that I was collecting the blues!"

"You have one blue space, that doesn't look like 'collecting' to me."

"Uh, guys?" Yuzu interjected, and she was immediately greeted with two angry faces, eyes ablaze in irritation that was now unfortunately directed towards her.

"Yuzu-chan, tell Taniguchi-senpai to give me Boardwalk."

"No, Yuzucchi, tell this gremlin that I bought it fair and square."

Yuzu let out a nervous laugh, hand awkwardly finding home at the base of her neck. "Technically, Harumin has dibs on it. She landed on the space, so she has the right to buy it," Yuzu explained, avoiding eye contact with a certain pink-haired friend who was, without a doubt, staring daggers at her now.

Instead, she focused on Mei, who acted as the banker for this round of Monopoly. She was pulling Boardwalk from the stack of cards, as well as exchanging change with Harumi. The girl, as she handed over a fat 500 dollar bill to Mei, stuck her tongue out towards the losing party.

"This game is rigged," Matsuri huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest in irritation.

"Says you. You were winning two seconds ago," Harumi poked back.

She emphasized her thanks to Mei as the student council president handed her back both her change and her fairly bought Boardwalk.

"Yes, I was, but now I realize that I'm playing with cheaters."

"Hey, I'm not a cheater!" Yuzu interjected.

However, her words were drowned out by an outrageously loud _"What did you say?!"_ from Harumi.

"You heard me, Taniguchi-senpai," Matsuri egged on. "I said that I am playing with _cheaters."_

"You little brat!"

And with that, Harumi flipped the board towards Matsuri, spraying silver board pieces and fake money at the girl.

Mei, hands left hanging in the air to avoid her fingers becoming a casualty, turned towards Yuzu with a confused look on her face.

"Taniguchi-san was winning. Why did she flip the board?"

In response, Yuzu could only shrug awkwardly.

"You ruined the game," Matsuri spat.

"Well, since I'm such a cheater, I'm sure you didn't want to continue playing anyway."

"Mei," Yuzu whispered, cupping her hand away from the arguing duo.

"Yes, Yuzu?"

"Let's blow this popsicle stand."

With that, the blonde grabbed for Mei's wrist, dragging her away from the dining room table into their bedroom. The door closed with a dulled thud, muffling the argument that showed no signs of stopped anytime soon.

"Mei," Yuzu began, face colored a deep red.

"Yuzu," Mei returned, her own face darkening as she realized just what Yuzu intended for them to do.

Back out in the kitchen, Harumi held Matsuri within a choke hold; and if that weren't enough to cut off circulation, then surely her melon-y orbs were enough to suffocate the pink-haired annoyance.

"Take it back, Mizusawa! I did not cheat!"

"I will not take it back! You cheated! You loaded the dice!"

"I did no such thing! I'll bet that—"

Harumi grew silent, suddenly aware that she and Matsuri were the only two left in the kitchen.

"What do you bet, Tani—"

"Shh!" Harumi clamped a hand over her mouth, preventing further oxygen from entering Matsuri's already oxygen-deprived brain.

And then, from the back of the apartment, a long, pained moan of _"Meeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiii"_ reached their ears.

Harumi could feel the very blood rush to her face; and despite Matsuri's apparent love of such compromising situations, even her face turned a shade or two darker.

"U-Um, I think that is our cue to leave," Harumi spoke up, releasing her hold on Matsuri.

However, the moment Matsuri wiggled her way out, she bolted towards the bedroom, and Harumi could do nothing but chase after, hoping to cut her off before she could barge in.

Her efforts were futile, for the gremlin reached the door first, and she thrusted it open the moment her palm touched the handle.

The scene the two bore witness to was none other than Yuzu and Mei, sitting criss-cross apple sauce on the floor, a deck of Uno cards situated between them, and a distraught Yuzu crumpled to the side.

 _"Meeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiii,"_ I only had one card left! You can't just play a Draw Two!"

"I'm sorry, Yuzu, but I'm afraid that I already did." And without a shred of remorse, Mei played down her final card: a blue 7.

"Uuuuuuuuhhhhgggggg, _fine."_ Then, with a tiny smile, "Since you've won, you get the prize."

And with that, Yuzu leaned over across the mess of playing cards and kissed Mei on the cheek.

"Wanna play again, Mei?"

The younger girl could only nod, face turning the color of a tomato as Yuzu recollected the cards to shuffle up a new game.

Harumi and Matsuri closed the door on the pair, faces pink, although not at the sight they had just witnessed, but at the clear gutter both their minds had gone prior to barging in on the couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! This one was amazingly fun to write!
> 
> This drabble was written during a Sprinto session with [d_wolpertinger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/d_wolpertinger), [punklobster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/punklobster), [ja55](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ja55), and [Sappho82](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sappho82). They all wrote wonderful drabbles, as well, and they can be found on the Yuri Garden Discord Server in the Literature Club channel. :)
> 
> ch. 19 originally written on 6.18.19


	20. Aiharas of the Caribbean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you love to sail the sea, you are a pirate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration & song referenced in the fic: [YouTube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8ju_10NkGY&;feature=youtu.be)

_"Drop anchor!"_ Yuzu shouted, pointing the tip of her sword to starboard.

"Aye aye, Captain!" Harumi called back with a salute. She released the anchor from the side of the boat, and the metal mass plunged into the salty sea below.

With a twirl from the helm next to Mei, Yuzu jumped down to Harumi on the deck, who shared a similar enthusiasm.

And then, as though they had rehearsed such antics before, the two broke out into a pirate-y chant:

 _"Yar har, fiddle de dee_  
_"Being a pirate is alright with me."_

"Mei-chan, can you get a hold of her?" Matsuri whined, face palming in embarrassment.

 _"Do what you want 'cause a pirate is free_  
_"You are a pirate!"_

"I am not interacting with that," Mei replied, straight-faced, just as the anchor made a _clang_ upon impact with whatever lied beneath the ocean's surface.

From the helm, Mei watched as Harumi procured a map from her obnoxiously exposed cleavage and unfurled it animatedly.

She peered over at Yuzu, a smirk as the two continued their song.

 _"We've got us a map (a map!)_  
_"To lead us to a hidden box_  
_"That's all locked up with locks (with locks!)_  
_"And buried deep away"_

Yuzu echoed the obnoxious tune from Harumi as their fellow boat mates made their way towards starboard.

"Yuzu-chan, can you not take this seriously?" Matsuri questioned, although it was asked in such a way that Mei realized Matsuri already knew the answer to her question.

In fact, the pink-haired girl wasn't given a proper response. Instead, Yuzu merely smiled at her, linking arms with Harumi as they opened a nearby chest, pulling out a pair of shovels.

They lifted said tools in the air, shouting a hoorah of triumph before resuming the tune, this time Harumi acting as back up.

 _"We'll dig up the box (the box!)_  
_"We know it's full of precious booty!_  
_"Burst open the locks!_  
_"And then we'll say, "Hooray!"_

Mei and Matsuri followed suit and procured a set of shovels for themselves. They were beaten down and rusty, but they were more than adequate to dig at the sands of the island they had just landed upon.

_"Yar har, fiddle de dee —"_

"Will you give it a rest, Yuzu-chan?!"

This time, it was Harumi who silently responded to Matsuri's agitation, sticking her tongue out at her.

Matsuri narrowed her eyes, uncaring that she visibly showed her growing anger. She crossed her arms and muttered something under her breath.

"You should ignore them," Mei commented, before being sung over.

 _"If you love to sail the sea,_  
_"you are a pirate!!"_

The two singers separated, and Matsuri visible sighed in relief.

And then, it one loud shout between the two girls:

_"Weigh anchor!"_

_"WE HAVEN'T LEFT THE SHIP YET!!!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have enjoyed! 🏴☠️
> 
> Also, [Uroko](https://bjarkan-art.tumblr.com/) on tumblr drew something for the second chapter of this drabble series, which can be found [here](https://bjarkan-art.tumblr.com/post/183745414455/new-fanfic-fan-art-inspired-by-one-of). Thank you so much this amazingly sweet artwork! ❤️
> 
> ch. 20 originally written on 7.1.19


	21. sheep

_"Come on, Mei! It'll be fun!"_

That was all it took. Nothing more, nothing less, and Yuzu had managed to drag Mei out to some petting zoo in the middle of who-knows-where, where they were currently surrounded by a flock of— _of —_

"Sheep." Mei commented.

Her tone was entirely void of emotion. It would have been closer to frustration or perhaps anger, if not for the childishly overjoyed look on Yuzu's face.

"They're so fluffy!" Yuzu shouted, eyes gleaming at the cloud-like creatures that surrounded the pair.

She turned with a certain excitement towards Mei and began pulling at her hand in a second display of childish excitement.

"Touch one, Mei! They look so soft!"

And so, the younger girl did. It was without hesitation that she reached forward towards the closest sheep.

Her palm came upon the top of his head, and instantly her mouth fell ever so ajar in utter shock.

The softness that she felt between her fingers was _sinful._

And to make matters worse, the animal looked up at her, and not a moment later it leaned into the touch with a soft _baaah_ of satisfaction.

The arrow of affection that shot through Mei's heart froze her in place.

The only thing that broke her out of the trance was Yuzu's soft giggling beside her.

"I knew you would like them, Mei. They're so sweet."

Yuzu proceeded to cup her hand out to another sheep, and it sniffed her hand. Seemingly having gained its trust, Yuzu went to scratch under its chin.

It produced a bleat of joy just like the first sheep.

"Here," Yuzu began, and beside her on the group, she reached into the bucket that sat at her feet. When she pulled her fist out, small pieces of... something fell between the slits of her fingers. However, once she opened her palm, Mei realized that it was animal feed.

"You should try feeding one, Mei."

Yuzu bent down and extended her hand towards her new buddy, and instantly it began gobbling up the food.

Mei copied just as Yuzu had done and grabbed a handful of the feed from the bucket. She then extended it towards her own friend and opened her palm.

This time, the sheep smelled the feed first; and once he began eating, it was much slower, and he didn't make nearly as much of a mess as did Yuzu's sheep.

However, it left Mei's hand just as slobbery and wet as Yuzu's own.

She couldn't, though deny those adorable eyes staring at her, expectant of another handful of food.

So, she dug into the bucket once more—this time feeling as the grain stuck to her incredibly wet skin.

The mess of her hand was more than made up by the adorably innocent bleat of happiness the sheep let out upon finishing its second helping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope 🐑 have enjoyed! :)
> 
> ch. 21 originally written on 7.1.19


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